chance to be someone new.
“How old are you?” I asked, my eyes still fixed ahead.
“I’ll be twenty in a month. You?”
“Eighteen,” I lied, knowing they already thought Cara was legally an adultas well, not that they cared, seeing that they were serving us alcohol.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Cara
I pulled back from Tristan, catching my breath from our passionate kiss. He smirked as he slid his thumb across my lower lip, the evidence of his happiness still pressed against my hip. But all I could think about was the softness in Ellie’s kiss. Tristan was anything but tender. What the hell is wrong with me? I had acted without regard for the repercussions, and even though I didn’t regret it, I was worried she might. I might have destroyed a friendship with her before it even had a chance to begin. My stomach twisted in knots at the idea. And what might be something innocent among some friends now left me feeling guilty that I’d betrayed Tristan. I knew he wouldn’t see it as harmless if he ever found out.
I glanced around us, and I realized I’d let Ellie wander around the party by herself. She was never going to talk to me again unless she was already avoiding me.
“Shit. I need to find El.”
“What is it with that girl? She seems a little uptight.”
“She’s not uptight, she’s just not used to letting go.” I replied as I laced my fingers in his and pulled him through the crowd. He tugged on my hand, making me stop and look back at him.
“Let her have some fun. Maybe we can slip off into a room for a few minutes.” His eyes narrowed playfully as he pulled me back toward him.
I shook my head as I backed away. “I have to make sure she’s okay. She’s going through a hard time. Her mom just died, and she doesn’t have anyone. She doesn’t even really know David.”
His smile faded, and he nodded. I was thankful in that moment that he was so understanding. Tristan had always been protective and caring, even if he tried to hide it behind his college partier persona. He was rebelling against his conservative parents, but the core values they had taught him were still there, hidden under layers of indifference, often making me feel guilty that I no longer believed in anything.
“You have a lot in common with her, huh?” His voice was low, quiet.
I could only nod, swallowing back the lump in my throat. My mother was very much alive, and it was I who was dead to her. But that past was too muddy to drag Tristan through, so I told him she was gone and let him draw his own conclusions.
It wasn’t a lie, I told myself. I was only responsible for my words, not for how they were interpreted.
“Maybe bringing her here wasn’t such a good idea. I swear sometime you don’t think…” And as he spoke, I knew that hidden under his kind eyes I was being scolded. He was right. Why would I think this would make things better for her when none of it helped me? But then I remembered that it was his idea to invite her along, and my guilt turned to frustration.
I turned, unable to be under the judgmental gaze of his blue eyes, and wove my way through the dancers in the living room. I spotted Ellie in the kitchen with Brody, alleviating some of my guilt.
“He doesn’t strike me as her type,” Tristan commented just as Ellie’s gaze found us.
“Why are you always so hard on Bro? He’s a good guy and one of your closest friends.” I looked at the way Brody held her.
“He’s a user, and he’s going to break your friend’s heart. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Consider me warned,” I rolled my eyes as I walked toward them. I was growing tired of the alpha-male bullshit.
CHAPTER NINE
Ellie
“Y ou having fun?” Cara asked with a giggle as her eyes went from Brody to me.
“It’s all right.” I shrugged, and she winked in response. Why did that tiny gesture send shivers through my body?
“You need a drink?” Tristan asked Cara. She nodded in response before he looked to me.
“I
“How old are you?” I asked, my eyes still fixed ahead.
“I’ll be twenty in a month. You?”
“Eighteen,” I lied, knowing they already thought Cara was legally an adultas well, not that they cared, seeing that they were serving us alcohol.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Cara
I pulled back from Tristan, catching my breath from our passionate kiss. He smirked as he slid his thumb across my lower lip, the evidence of his happiness still pressed against my hip. But all I could think about was the softness in Ellie’s kiss. Tristan was anything but tender. What the hell is wrong with me? I had acted without regard for the repercussions, and even though I didn’t regret it, I was worried she might. I might have destroyed a friendship with her before it even had a chance to begin. My stomach twisted in knots at the idea. And what might be something innocent among some friends now left me feeling guilty that I’d betrayed Tristan. I knew he wouldn’t see it as harmless if he ever found out.
I glanced around us, and I realized I’d let Ellie wander around the party by herself. She was never going to talk to me again unless she was already avoiding me.
“Shit. I need to find El.”
“What is it with that girl? She seems a little uptight.”
“She’s not uptight, she’s just not used to letting go.” I replied as I laced my fingers in his and pulled him through the crowd. He tugged on my hand, making me stop and look back at him.
“Let her have some fun. Maybe we can slip off into a room for a few minutes.” His eyes narrowed playfully as he pulled me back toward him.
I shook my head as I backed away. “I have to make sure she’s okay. She’s going through a hard time. Her mom just died, and she doesn’t have anyone. She doesn’t even really know David.”
His smile faded, and he nodded. I was thankful in that moment that he was so understanding. Tristan had always been protective and caring, even if he tried to hide it behind his college partier persona. He was rebelling against his conservative parents, but the core values they had taught him were still there, hidden under layers of indifference, often making me feel guilty that I no longer believed in anything.
“You have a lot in common with her, huh?” His voice was low, quiet.
I could only nod, swallowing back the lump in my throat. My mother was very much alive, and it was I who was dead to her. But that past was too muddy to drag Tristan through, so I told him she was gone and let him draw his own conclusions.
It wasn’t a lie, I told myself. I was only responsible for my words, not for how they were interpreted.
“Maybe bringing her here wasn’t such a good idea. I swear sometime you don’t think…” And as he spoke, I knew that hidden under his kind eyes I was being scolded. He was right. Why would I think this would make things better for her when none of it helped me? But then I remembered that it was his idea to invite her along, and my guilt turned to frustration.
I turned, unable to be under the judgmental gaze of his blue eyes, and wove my way through the dancers in the living room. I spotted Ellie in the kitchen with Brody, alleviating some of my guilt.
“He doesn’t strike me as her type,” Tristan commented just as Ellie’s gaze found us.
“Why are you always so hard on Bro? He’s a good guy and one of your closest friends.” I looked at the way Brody held her.
“He’s a user, and he’s going to break your friend’s heart. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Consider me warned,” I rolled my eyes as I walked toward them. I was growing tired of the alpha-male bullshit.
CHAPTER NINE
Ellie
“Y ou having fun?” Cara asked with a giggle as her eyes went from Brody to me.
“It’s all right.” I shrugged, and she winked in response. Why did that tiny gesture send shivers through my body?
“You need a drink?” Tristan asked Cara. She nodded in response before he looked to me.
“I
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